What Is 9K Gold? Price, Quality Difference, All You Need To Know

9K gold: With gold prices soaring to an all-time high in recent weeks, primarily owing to the USA's decision to impose tariff on gold bars, customers are having a tough time shelling out the extra money for the precious metal. In June, a 60 per cent drop in gold sales was reported in India, widely regarded as the world's largest consumer of gold, highlighting the gravity of the situation.

To ensure that the appetite for gold remains satiated, the Government of India last month approved the hallmarking standards for 9-carat (9K) gold -- making it officially part of the Bureau of Indian Standards' (BIS) hallmarking system.

"Nine Karat Gold (375 ppt) is now officially under mandatory hallmarking as per BIS Amendment No. 2 All jewellers and hallmarking centres must comply," the council stated.

What are the hallmarked gold variants?

As of August 2025, the official list of hallmarked purities includes 14K, 18K, 20K, 22K, 23K, and 24K, with the recent addition of 9K gold.

Difference between 24K and 9K gold

24K gold is 99.9 per cent pure gold, meaning it contains virtually no other metals, while 9K gold contains 37.5 per cent pure gold (9 parts gold out of 24). The remaining 62.5 per cent consists of alloy metals like copper, silver, or zinc.

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Why 9K gold?

With the cost of higher-karat gold rising, more consumers, especially younger ones and rural buyers, are turning to 9K gold for its affordability and ease of design. It is an effective alternative for those with limited budgets.

The inclusion of 9K gold under the BIS hallmarking scheme has further enhanced its legitimacy and appeal, encouraging jewellers to offer it. It is also more durable, making it ideal for daily wear rings, casual jewellery.

Since 9K gold is affordable, it becomes less attractive to thieves, making it a prudent investment from a safety point of view.

Price difference: 9K vs 24K gold

While 24K gold is currently touching Rs 10,000 per gram or Rs 1,00,00 lakh per 10 gram, the 9K gold variant is light on the pocket at approximately Rs 3,700 per gram or Rs 37,000 per 10 gram.

With the festival and wedding season fast approaching, the government's decision to legitimise 9K gold is being seen as an attempt to fill in the demand, which starts rising around Raksha Bandhan in August and peaks through Diwali.